For over 30 years, Glamour has been publishing surveys exploring women’s self-worth, but this year was the first time we looked at specific demographic factors like race, region of the country, generation, and sexuality. Our goal? To take an in-depth look into the factors that buoy and undermine women's confidence—and explore what we have in common and how we differ. When we assessed the data for nonhetero women, we found the outcomes related to self-esteem were especially striking.

Troubling newsNonhetero women in the survey were twice as likely to describe themselves as “unhappy,” and 63 percent had struggled with depression.

Family factors“Isolation is an issue, because if your family and friends aren’t accepting of your sexual orientation, you feel frightened and cut off,” says Kate Gardiner, 31, a marketing executive, who’s bisexual.

Harassment truthsAnother challenge: Gay and bi women report that they face more hurdles in the workplace; they’re also more than twice as likely as straight women to have received sexually suggestive remarks or negative comments online.

Smart > beautiful Many nonhetero women described themselves as “smart” or “confident”; only 29 percent selected “beautiful.” But that may just be language: “There’s an inherent femininity to the word beautiful,” notes Gardiner. “Women I know say striking, studly, sexy, or attractive.”